adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈspiːʃəs/
General-American:/ˈspiːʃəs/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -iːʃəs
CMU ARPABET:S P IY1 SH AH0 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Seemingly well-reasoned, plausible or true, but actually fallacious.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
This idea that we must see through what we have started is specious, however good it may sound.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fallacious
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Employing fallacious but deceptively plausible arguments; deceitful.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Having an attractive appearance intended to generate a favorable response; deceptively attractive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: meretricious, pretextual
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Beautiful, pleasing to look at.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Alternative form of speciose (“rich in species”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
adjective satellite
Meaning 6
based on pretense; deceptively pleasing
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the gilded and perfumed but inwardly rotten nobility
meretricious praise
a meretricious argument
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: gilded, meretricious
Antonyms: none provided
7
adjective satellite
Meaning 7
plausible but false
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a specious claim
spurious inferences
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: spurious
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English speciose, specious, from Anglo-Norman specious, Middle French specieux, and their etymon Latin speciōsus (“good-looking”).
Etymology tree English speci(es) Proto-Indo-European *h3ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h3édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English specious From speci(es) + -ous.
Across languages
Translations
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
благовиден
(blagoviden)
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Chinese Mandarin:
似是而非
(sìshì'érfēi)
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Czech:
zdánlivý
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Czech:
klamný
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Czech:
falešný
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Czech:
zavádějící
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Dutch:
schone schijn
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Dutch:
misleidend
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Dutch:
ongegrond
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Esperanto:
verŝajna
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Finnish:
näennäinen
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
French:
spécieux
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
German:
vordergründig
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
German:
fadenscheinig
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
German:
unfundiert
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
German:
leer
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Italian:
specioso
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Japanese:
まことしやかな
(makotoshiyaka na)
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Japanese:
似て非なる
(nite hinaru)
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Polish:
bałamutny
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Polish:
pokrętny
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Polish:
zwodniczy
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Portuguese:
especioso
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
ва̏рав
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
при́видан
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
то̀божњӣ
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
ла̏жан
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
vȁrav
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
prívidan
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
tòbožnjī
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Serbo-Croatian:
lȁžan
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Slovak:
zdanlivý
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Spanish:
especioso
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Turkish:
aldatıcı
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Turkish:
yanıltıcı
— seemingly well-reasoned, but fallacious
Bulgarian:
показен
(pokazen)
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
Finnish:
harhaanjohtava
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
German:
Schein-
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
German:
vorgeschoben
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
German:
fadenscheinig
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
Polish:
fałszywy
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
Spanish:
fingido
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
Spanish:
falso
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
Spanish:
de pretexto
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
Spanish:
pretextado
— with appearance intended to generate a favorable response
